The prerequisites
When we talk about replacing a cooling unit, we think about sustainability.
This was the first prerequisite stipulated. Sustainability means thinking about which refrigerant to select. It was therefore out of the question for Laurent Moury, business manager, and Philippe Almeida, manager of ALM FROID, to use an HFC.
A hydrocarbon would have been too complicated to use on a site like the Eiffel Tower. The choice was therefore quickly made for a “pure” HFO, and R-1234ze met all the requirements with a GWP of 4!
The second important point concerns the safety of the process and production: the water loop is used to air-condition a pump room for a lift, and damage to it could have a negative impact on the operation of the site.
The idea was therefore to split the productions into three units of equal power (40 kW). They are all independent of one other, but communicate with each other to rotate the operating hours. Thus, in the event of a malfunction, the others take over. All this on a Tickelman loop to have a permanently balanced network.
A project that opens up many possibilities with “pure” HFOs
AF Energy supported ALM FROID on this project for the manufacture and design of the machines.
The energy efficiency of this production was also a determining factor. R-1234ze, associated with variable speed control on compressors and condensers is simply the ideal solution. With a COP of 6, this solution is not only sustainable but also very energy efficient.
The last important point is the ease of maintenance, repair and operation.
The technology is available to any refrigeration engineer. The technical level, operating pressures, fluid etc., do not require special skills. The customer can rest assured that preventive and corrective maintenance of their installation will be carried out in the future.
“A simple, effective and sustainable solution” For Laurent Moury & Phillippe Almeida
The little extras
-
- Remote access to units, analysis of operation and backup of all unit data. Temperatures, running times, possible faults may be connected to a BMS.
-
- Tickelman loop in stainless steel, set at 80. For a permanently balanced network.
-
- Charot STAINLESS STEEL buffer tank.
-
- Low refrigerant charge, 7 kg per unit only and low price.
-
- Power variation of each unit from 35 to 100%.